Safety catch-latch.



G. H. ELWELL.

SAFETY CATCH LATCH. APPLICATION FILED oc'f. 2o. |914.

'1,235,885a I v I Patented-Ang. 7,1917.

"E" srn'rEs SAFETY CATCH-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. *7, 1917.

Application inea october zo, 1914. serial N. 867,649.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY EL.- wELL, of Boston, in the county vof Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Catch-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety door-holding means for doors of motor cars and the.

like and has for its object to provide an improved means bywhich a door when in its closed position is rendered positively locked against accidental opening.

' Further objects of this invention are: to provide a lock that will allow for the elasticity of a motor car bodywithout less'eningl its efliciency as a safety device, and to provide a lock having a double action bolt, actuated, upon the closing lof the door entirely by the striker-plate and controlled by a single and familiar operation to open the door.

A further object of my invention is to provide a door-holding means having ka combined bolt and hook, the hook pointing toward the striker-plate as the door carrying the door-l'i'olding means is about to close.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined bolt and hook lock, in which the hook is moved laterally by engagement with the striker-plateor by the rearward movement of an operatingV lever independently 0f the backward movement of the bolt.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consistsin certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out wherein patentable novelty is 'claimed for 'certain features ofthe device, lit 'being understood that within vthe `scope "of what hereinafter thus is claimed, various changes in form, proportion, size and minor details of the construction may be made without departing'from the spirit or modifying any of the advantages of the invention. Y

The following isa description of an embodiment of my invention, kreference being had to the accompanying drawings:

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an interiorfelevation'of the fdevice, as fullyf described.

Fig. 2 is a detailed end view of the bolt member operatively held by a T-rivet.

Fig. 3 is atop view of device as fully described.

Fig. l is a front view of a compound lever forming part thereof.

Fig. 5 is a top view of a modified form employing a simple lever.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing. Y

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a .supporting plate l with one end bentratY convenient angle to form face 2 and thus provide an incasement. A striker-plate 2 `opposes Ythis face-plate when the device isupon a closed door. The face 2 is provided with a guiding perforation 3 for a bolt'head passage from within said incasement. `'lh'e'locking-bolt consists of a latchbolt 4 having a two-part body portion, held by .guides upon said base-plate, Vand a Vspring catch-member 5 carried'thereby, whose end projects laterally from the bolt-head 6 so as to form a hook and is normally maintained in that position by the action of spring; means 7, as shown in Figs; 3 and .5. The outer ends of the body portion or the catch member, 'or preferably of both, are beveled so `that they will be retracted longitudinally upon engagement with the striker-plate. The hook of the catch member projects from the beveled side of the body portion and points toward the striker plate .as it appreaches the same. The latch-bolt 4 is maintained on said .supporting plate by the ,engagement of .bolt-head 6 in perforation 3 lin face 2 of the said incasement and by the T- rivet 8 operatively engaging the rear ends of said 'bolt parts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

and said latch-bolt is normally maintainedv in itsprojected position by .spring-means 9. The 'latch-bolt' has two parallel parts and rivets 10 and l1 fasten these bolt parts together. --Rivet 10 also serves as an axis upon which said spring-.catch 5 operates, while rivet 11 'limits the backward movement .of the catch i5. When sufficient pressure is placed upon any 'forward portion of said spring-catch 5, that member retires within the lateral 'contines ofbolt-latch 4 enabling bolt-latch4head 6 t0=be. drawn or forcedinto incasement; otherwise spring-catch left in its normal position becomes a barrier, not only preventing the bolt-latch-head 6 from so retiring but when said spring-catch 5 is 5 likewise engaged behind the striker-plate 2 spring-catch 5 is interlocked therewith and thereby forms the safety feature of this device. To provide for the racking or giving due to the elasticity of a motor car body, 1@ Spring-catch 5 is so relatively arranged with said striker-plate that when said latch-bolthead 6 makes holding engagement with the striker-plate the hook of the catch 5 lies well beyond the inner surface of the strikerplate, engagement therewith in this form being intended only upon accidental separation of the door and the body portion to which said device and the striker-plate are respectively attached.

The automatic function of the device is demonstrated when upon closing the door to which the device is attached the springcatch 5 member of the latch-bolt engages the striker-plate causing pressure against said spring-catch 5 and against its springaction 7 sufficient to retire said spring-catch 5 within the lateral confines of latch-bolthead 6, and thus bringing the'latch-bolthead 6 and the striker-plate into direct en- 3@ gagement, whereby the latch-bolt-head 6 is forced 'back into the incasement until the said door is in its fully closed position, when the latch-bolt 4 is released and springs into the striker-plate, spring catch-member 5' being held within the lateral confines of said latch-bolt-head 6 until passing into the striker-plate, when it, being released, springs to its normal position and behind the striker-plate.

To unlock and open the door to which said device is attached pressure must be exerted against the spring `action .of said spring -catch 5Y sufficient to retire that spring-catch member within latch-bolt-head 6 before latch-bolt 4 may be withdrawn. Any means of vpressure against the spring action of said spring catch-member 5 may be adopted, but for the purpose of combining said means of pressure with the means for withdrawing said latch-bolt 4 so that together they shall be controlled by one operation, I provide a lever which is made to operate in the well known manner, but before it engages the bolt body proper to withdraw it, it is made to engage a laterally projecting shoulder 14 of said spring catch-member 5, creating the necessary pressure against the spring-action of said spring catch-member 5 and thereby retiring it, as aforesaid, and permitting said lever 13 to next'withdraw latch-bolt head 6 in the ordinary "mannen The lever may be a simple lever as shown at 13 in Fig. 5. Because of the increased scope of operation of said lever 13, which is of i the second class, made necessary under the aforesaid construction, lever 13 in Figs. 1 to 4 is provided with cam blade 16 which is pivoted to supporting plate 1 and constitutes a lever of the third class, the twosimple levers constituting a compound lever. The cam blade 16 is provided with elongated slot 17 intended for engagement with pin 18 with which lever 13 is provided as shown .in Fig. .4. Lever 13 in this form normally -it before said lever 13 has withdrawn said latch-bolt 4'sufliciently to cause an engagement o-f said retiring spring-catch 5 with the striker-plate.

The operating lever is provided with a spring 15, Fig. 1, to maintain it normally in a position ready to engage said shoulder 14 of said spring catch-member 5.

For the purpose of strengthening the construction of the latch-bolt, and to make unnecessary any preparation for lever-movement in the surface of the door, the supporting plate 1 may be struck up with a leverchamber 19 as shown in Fig. 3, the chamber lying outside the general plane of the supporting plate. Y

The operation of 'the device is as follows: As a door carrying the holding device closes the beveled face on the hook member 5 engages the forward edgeof the strikerplate 2 and the hook is thereby forced backward with a lateral movement. rlhe beveled surfaces on the hook-member and the outer end of the body of the bolt then act to cause the bolt as a whole to move inwardly until the door is shut, whereupon the bolt as a whole is moved outwardly by the spring' 9 and thereafter the hook is projected laterally by the spring 7 so as to lie behind the strikerplate, locking the door to the striker-plate so that they cannot be pulled apart. opening the door the lever 13 is actuated in the ordinary manner. By itsy engagement with the projection 14`it retracts the-hook laterally so las to withdraw it from behind the striker-plate and then by its engagement with the shoulder on the bolt body Vfully retracts the bolt'as-a`whole, so as to Vwithdraw it from the openingV in the strikerplate.V In closing the door the bolt can be retracted by theoperation ofthe lever be-` fore the door is swung to if desired; in which case the beveled Vfaces on the body and hook portions perform no functions; They are preferably present on one or both of these members, however, kso that lthe bolt will be retracted by the mere closing of the door.

Vhat I claim is:

1. A door catch-latch bolt comprising 'an incasement, a latch bolt slidably mounted in said incasement, said bolt being provided with a beveled side head capable of being advanced through a guide with which said incasement is provided; said bolt being also provided with a spring pressed catch member pivotally mounted on said bolt, said catch member being provided at its free end with a hook shapedhead laterally projecting from the beveled side of said bolt head; spring means to maintain said catch member in its projected position; and spring means exerted to maintain said bolt in its advanced position.

Q. A door catch-latch bolt, comprising a proper incasement, `a latch bolt slidably mounted Within said incasement, said latch bolt comprising three sections the outer sections of which are provided with beveled heads fixed in parallel position one to the other, the middle section thereof forming an arm, pivotally mounted between said outer sections and provided at its free end with a hook shaped head capable of being projected laterally from between said beveled heads of said outer sections; spring means exerted to normally maintain said arm in its laterally projected position; and spring means exerted to advance and maintain said bolt in its advanced position.

3. A door automatic catch-latch comprising an incasement, a latch bolt slidably mounted within said incasement, said bolt being provided with a beveled head capable of being advanced through a guide with which said incasement is provided, said bolt carrying a spring pressedv catch member; spring means exerted to normally maintain said bolt in its advanced position; spring means exerted to normally maintain said catch member projected laterally from the beveled side of said bolt head for engagement behind the striker plate, permitting the automatic retirement of said catch member and said latch bolt against the action of their respective spring means upon their consecutive engagements with the striker plate; and manually operative means to retire said catch member and said latch bolt.

4,-. A door automatic safety catch-latch comprising an incasement, a latch bolt slidably mounted within said incasement, said bolt being provided with a beveled head ca- 'pable of being advanced through a guide with which said incasement is provided, said bolt carrying a spring pressed catch member provided with a hook shaped portion; spring means exerted to normally maintain said bolt in its advanced position; spring means exerted to normally maintain said catch member projected laterally from the beveled side of said bolt head, permitting the automatic retirement of said catch member and said latch bolt against the action of their respective spring means when in consecutive engagement with the striker plate; and manually operative means to retire said catch member and said latch bolt, said operative means comprising a lever pivotally mounted within said incasement for consecutive engagements with said catch member and said latch bolt.

5. In a safety catch comprising a latchmechanism and striker-plate for making holding engagement, the combination of a base-plate adapted to be mounted upon a swinging door, a hook catch movably mounted onv said base-plate, and having a beveled face adapted to engage said striker-plate as the door closes, the nose of the hook being turned inwardly toward the striker-plate when the door is open, and a striker-plate having an outwardly extending portion behind which the nose of said hook catch rests when the door is closed.

6. A door-catch-bolt for making holding engagement with a striker-plate comprising a base-plate, a bolt slidably mounted on said base-plate and consisting of a sliding member having a body portion held by guides on said base-plate, and a catch member movably connected to said body portion, said catch member having a hook-shaped head, the nose of the hook pointing toward said striker-plate when approaching the same, the end of one of sai d members having a beveled face adapted to engage said striker-plate, said bolt and hook when retracted normally tending to move outwardly and the hook to move laterally relatively to said sliding member, and means for manually retracting said catch member laterally and said bolt longitudinally.

7. A door catch-bolt for making holding engagement with a striker-plate comprising a base-plate, a normally longitudinally projected bolt slidably mounted on said base plate and consisting of a sliding member having a body portion held by guides on said base plate and a catch-member movably connected to said body portion and normally laterally projected, said catch-member having a hook-shaped head, the nose of the hook pointing toward said striker-plate when approaching the same, the end of one of said members having a beveled face adapted to engage said striker-plate, and means for manually retracting said catch-member laterally and said bolt longitudinally.

8. A door catch-bolt for making holding engagement with a striker-plate comprising a base plate, a normally longitudinally projected bolt slidably mounted on said base plate and consisting of a sliding member havinga body portion held by guides on said base plate and a catch member movably connected to said body portion and normally laterally projected, said catch member having a hook shaped head, the nose of the hook pointing toward said striker-plate when approaching the same, the outer ends of both of said members having beveled faces adapted to engage said striker-plate, and means for manually retracting said catch-member laterally and said bolt longitudinally.

9. A door catch-bolt for making holding engagement with a striker-plate comprising a base plate, a bolt slidably mounted thereon and consisting of a body portion and a catch member pivotally connected to said body portion, said catch member having a hook shaped head whose nose points toward said striker-plate when approaching the same, and a retracting lever, said bolt having laterally projecting means located inthe path of said lever upon which said lever acts to retract said hook laterally and said bolt longitudinally, said bolt having a beveled face adapted to be engaged by'said strikerplate.

l0. A door catchwbolt for making holding engagement with a striker-plate comprising a base plate, a normally longitudinally projected bolt slidingly mounted on said base plate and consisting of a body portion and a catch member pivotally connected to said body portion and normally laterally pro? jected, said catch member having a hookv shaped head, the nose of the hook pointed toward said striker-plate when approaching the same and a lateral projection located between its hook-shaped head and pivot, said bolt having'an abutment, and a manu ally operative lever engaging said projection and abutment so as to retractsaid hook lat-A I erally and retract said bolt longitudinally,

jected bolt slidingly mounted on said base plate and consisting of a body portion and a catch memberk pivotally connected to said body portion normally laterally projected, said catch-member having a hook-shaped head, the nose of the hook pointing toward said striker-plate when approaching the same and a lateral projection located between its hook-shaped head and pivot, said bolt having an abutment, and a manually operative lever engaging said projection and abutment so as to retract said hook laterally and retract said bolt longitudinally, said bolt having a beveled face adapted to be engaged by said striker-plate. l2. A door catch-bolt for making holding engagement with a striker-plate comprising a base plate, a bolt slidably mounted thereon and consisting of a body portion and a catch member pivotally connected to said body portion, said catch-member having a hookshaped head whose nose points toward said strikenplate when approaching the same, and a compound retracting lever, said latchbolt having a laterally projecting surface on said catch-member and an abutment adapted to be engaged by said lever, said compound lever consisting of two simple levers, one of'which constitutes a handle and the other of which engages said laterally projecting surface.

In testimonyvwhereoi:l I have atlixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY ELWELL. Vitnesses: WILLIAM C. PRE,

ETTA R. SCHWARTZ.

(lopies of this patent may be'obtained for nvecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

l Washington, D. C. v 

